Improvement in torpedoes



C. N ELSO N.

Torpedoes.

No. 136,000; Patented Feb.18,18 73.

wimsmz gummy:

q. C 671 (Z Mam,

AM. PHOTO-LITHOGRAPH/C 00 M X (0:00 m? moons) UNITED STATES PATENTQFFIGE.

CHARLES NELSON, OF EAST NEYV YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN TORPEDOES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 136,000, dated February18, 1873.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES NELSON, or East New York, in the county ofKings and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Torpedoes, of which the following is a specification:

My invention consists of a torpedo in which the fulminate is separatedfrom the powder, gravel, and other filling, and inclosed in a paper sackand fixed ou the center of the paper Wrapper, so as to be at the bottompart of the completed torpedo, which is most likely to strike whenthrown, and, together with the filling, it is either iuclosed in onewrapper, or package of two or more plies of strong paper, except attheir bottom, where each inner piece of paper has a large hole forming akind of well, in the bottom of which the fulminate is placed, and thewhole, including an exterior thin fancy-colored paper, are folded overthe powder and secured by twisting together and gumming the twistedparts. The object is to guard against explosion by concussion of thesides of the torpedo, and to provide a wrapper or case that will notbreak open easily when subject to concussion, as the torpedoes 110w madedo to such extent that it one in a mass or package explodes the wholewill be fired.

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the improved torpedo which Ipropose to make. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the inclosing papers. Fig. 3is a plan of a little paper piece containing .the fulminate to be placedin the bottom of the torpedo; and Fig. 4 is a section of Fig. 2 on theline 00 1'.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A is the outer ply of strong paper for inclosing the whole. B representstwo inner plies ot' the same paper, but having a large hole, (1, at thecenter, forming a little well or pocket when laid flat, as representedin Fig. 4. D represents a little paper piece with the fuhninate attachedto one side, which is placed on the sheet A at the center or in thebottom of said pocket, then a charge of powder and other filling, E, isput on the paper above the fulminate and the paper A B. Also, an outerand larger piece of thin colored paper, G, is folded up around thecontents and. twisted and gumlned together, as shown in Fig. 1, makingan oval package with a vertical conical extension, with the center ofgravity near the bottom, so that when thrown from the hand to beexploded the bottom in which the t'ulminate is most exposed will strikethe object against which the torpedo is thrown and cause it to explode;but this part covering the fulminate being considerably elastic and verystrong, the torpedo will be much less liable to explode by the shock ofanother exploded by the side of it than the ordinary torpedoes; and inall other parts except the bottom such concussions will be absolutelyharmless, because of not being expended on the fulminate or against it.

The outer covering of colored paper is employed merely to improve theappearance of the package.

Having thus described m yinvention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patcut- 1. A torpedo in which the fulminate is an ranged inthe center of the wrapper A, separate from the other filling, and eitherinclosed or not in one or more pieces, B, of strong paper having a hole,0, at the center, and all folded, twisted, and pasted together,substantially as described.

2. A torpedo, as described in the foregoing clause of the claim, havingan outer covering of tissue or other colored paper, substantially asspecified.

CHARLES NELSON.

\Vitnesses:

A. P. THAYER, T. B. MosHER.

